Corn-harvester.



No. 704,947. Patented Iuly l5, I902.

H. a., A. w. a a. SPAHT.

3 Sheets-Sheet I.

(Ito Model.)-

m A W? m u mm U. Mk r 3 w g M NM? amal 1 1% w 6 III-=5 gg its. E w M a n W E ll Q L a, 0 I 54 H h i 0 a MM h m K w m m m a M n Z w TH: mums PETERS cow. PHDTQLHhQ, WASHINGTON,- n a Patented July 15, 1902.

H 3., A., w. a a. "SPAHT.

conu HARVEST EB. (Application fileq P61). 19, 1902.)

3 Sheets- Shin (Ila Model.)

m: may"; cu. mania-mo" wAsqmm'cm-u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY R. SPAHT AND ALBERT W. SPAHT, OF PATTONSBURG', AND

H GUSTAVEVSPAHT, OF KINGCITY, MISSOURI.

' GO'RN-HARVESTER'.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 704,947, dated July 15, 1902.

Application filed February 19, 1902. Serial No. 94,745. (No model.)

To all whom, it nasty concern.-

Be it known that we, HENRY RICHARD SPAHT and ALBERT WILLIAM SPAHT, residents of Pattonsburg, in the county of Da- Viess,and GUSTAVE SPAHT, a resident of King City, inthecounty of-Gentry, State of Missouri, citizens of the United States, have invented new andus'efulImprovementsin Corn- Harvesters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Theinvention' consists in the construction, arrangement, and combinations of parts hereinafter described,'and pointed out in the appended claims.

Referenceis'to be had to' the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indi cate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan View of the harvester. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section thereof on theline 2 20f Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of'Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a sectional detail view on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 1, and Fig. '7 is a sectional detail view showing one of the fingers of'the rack.

A rectangular framecomprising side beams l 2 is provided with wheels. 34 5 6 and .with

ears 7 8 for the purpose of securing the ban ness trappings of a .horsethereto. Upon either side of thefram'e are divergent arms 9 10, provided with spring-guides 1112 for the purpose of directing the stalks of corn against the knivesand alsofor the purpose of guid;

ing the fall of said stalks when severed from the ground. A pair of bows 13 14, made,preferably, of spring metal, are mounted upon the brackets 15 16 17 18. The cornstalks pile up between these bows. The knives are shown at 19 20. the movable thrust-blades 21 22,pivoted upon the wheels 23 24 and guided by the plates 21 22. The edges of the knives are disposed adjacent to the m utilations 19 of the side beams 1 2 7 Flexible cords 25 2 6 are used for propelling the wheels 23 24'from the wheels 27 28. The wheels 27 28 are provided with bevel-gears and are driven from the bevel-gears 29 30 as the wheels 3 and 4 are rotated upon the ground.

Immediately above the knives are An arch 3-1 is mounted upon the side beams 1 and 2. From the lower portion of this arch spring the brackets 1 2?, with which the wheels 3 and 4 are connected. -Thei seat 32, normally occupied by the driver, ismoiu n ted on the arch 31. Brackets 33 34Jare disposed upon the side beams '1 and'2,- and upon'these brackets, together with the brace 35, are mounted the two tubular rocki-ng members 36 87. Mounteduponthese tubhla'rrnembersare the two rows of fingers 38 39,,which are flexibly connected together by means of. rods 40 41.

The fingers 38 39 are normally freeto swing backward relatively to the tubular members 36 37 when said=fi-ngers are dragged upon-the ground and when released from the ground are automatically drawh' forward by means of springs 42 43. The rods are provided with brackets 44 45, disposed adjacent to the springs 42 43 and adapted to engage the arms 52 upon 'the rockingLdisk-52. Upon'this rockin g disk is another crank lpiu 55,"whicl isf connected by a pitman 54 with the bell-crank 56.

This bell-crank is pivotedat 5.7,and itsfree end 58 is connected with the longitudinal rod 59, which extends practicallythrough'outithe entire length of the frame and is connected with the hand-lever 60. The object'of' this arrangement is to enable the driver by manipulating the lever 60 to rock the disk 52, ajndthereby actuate-the racks composed of Ifthefih'gers 38 39 and rods 40 41, all of which are mounted upon the tubular rocking mem- 'bers'3637, so that the racks are actuated as units; The fingers 38 39 are normally free to ."in'ove 'radially in vertical planes whenthe leverIQOis actuated by hand. *W hem'however,

the racks are in their lowermost positions, the

Qfingers'drag upon the groundandare free to incline obliquely backward in discharging the load jof cornstalks lying upon them. As

soon, however, as the cornstalks are discharged and the machine has moved forward sufficiently to clear the fingers from the ground and from the cornstalks the springs 42 43 by retracting the rods 40 41 cause the fingers 38 39 to resume their normal position at right angles to the tubular members 36 37.

Upon the brackets 15 16 17 18 are pivotally mounted 'the auxiliary racks, comprising hooks 66 and shafts 64 64, upon which the hooks are integrally formed. These auxiliary racks are actuated by means of links 62, which engage the cranks 63, also formed integrally upon the shafts 64. The rocking pins 61 aremounted upon the tubular members 36 37 and engage the links for the purpose of actuating the same.

The operation of our device is as follows: One horse is preferably employed, and the machine is drawn between two adjacent rows of corn, so as to sever the cornstalks disposed upon both sides of the machine. The divergent arms 9 1O guide the stalks to the knives 19 20, the spring-arms 11 12 serving to direct the stalks when severed so that they will fall between the bows 13 14 as near parallel with the general position of the machine as possible. The members 21 22 by rapidly and actively engaging the lower ends of the stalks serve to trip the same and to some extent guide the fall of the stalks between the bows. The tendency of the stalks when severed is to pile centrally between the bows and to accumulate in groups, resting upon the racks. If now the driver pulls the lever 60, the racks are dumpedthat isto say, the ends of the fingers descend to the ground and as the fingers trail backward the cornstalks are released from the machine. As a few stalks of corn may be cut during the interval while the racks are being dumped, the stalks in question are thrown forward upon the hooks 65 66, whichfare connected, by means of links 62, with the pins 61, said pins rocking with the tubular members 36 37. The links 63 cause the hooks 65 66 to rock simultaneously with the rocking of the racks. The hooks 65 66 therefore act as auxiliary racks and tentatively hold the few stalksof corn that may be out while the main racks are being dumped. The restoration of the main racks to their normal position causes the dumping of the auxiliary racks, so that the practical effect is that the few stalks accumulated in the auxiliary racks are dumped in the main racks immediately after the main racks have dumped their load upon the ground. The plates 60 are shown in Figs. 2 and 3 for the purpose of strengthening the side beams.

Ordinarily the friction of the several working parts is sufficient to normally maintain the main racks in a substantially horizontal position under a light load of cornstalks.

As the driver handles the lever almost constantly, however, and is so seated that he can rest one of his feet against the lever, if desired,he can correct the position of the racks at any moment and hold them at a desired level. However, we do not limit ourselves to this particular means for holding the racks horizontal. They can be so held by any other means.

This harvester is simple and cheap and requires but a minimum of labor in its operation.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A corn-harvester comprising a movable frame adapted to travel between rows of corn and provided with an arch for supporting a seat, means for severing stalks located upon both sides of said frame and for guiding the fall of said stalks, racks loosely mounted upon said frame and forming a tentative support disposed centrally thereof, said racks comprising fingers normally free to move radially downward for the purpose of dumping said stalks centrally of said frame and free to swing obliquely backward when engaged by the ground, means controllable at will for swinging said fingers radially downward,and means for automatically moving said fingers forward when the same are free from the ground.

2. A corn-harvester comprising a movable framejadapted to travel between corn-rows and provided with an arch for supporting a seat, means for severing cornstalks located upon both sides of said frame, and for guiding the fall of said stalks when severed, racks loosely mounted upon said frame and forming a tentative support disposed centrally thereof," said racks comprising fingers normally free to move radially downward for the purpose of dumping said stalks centrally of said frame, and free to swing obliquely backward when engaged by the ground, mechanism controllable at will for swinging said fingers radially downward, and means'for automatically moving said fingers forward when the same are free from the ground, hooks for tentatively holding any stalks which may be severed while the racks are dumping,and links connected with said racks and said hooks for actuating said hooks.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY R. SPAHT. ALBERT WV. SPAHT. GUSTAVE SPAHT. 1V itnesses:

JOHN A. SHowE-N, H. WV. CHANNE 

